A Southampton man has been jailed for 13 years after he attempted to rape a woman while she slept.

Southampton Man Jailed for 13 Years for Attempted Rape

Amro Badawi, 28, of Mandela Way, Southampton, has been sentenced to 13 years in prison for attempted rape and sexual assault by penetration. The incident occurred in the early hours of the morning when a woman, who had been out with work colleagues, returned to her flat and went to sleep.

Between 4am and 5am, the woman awoke to find Badawi lying behind her, sexually assaulting her. She froze in fear before he attempted to rape her. She managed to shout and push him away before he left the room. The woman immediately reported the incident to the police.

Badawi denied the charges, but a jury at Southampton Crown Court found him guilty after a five-day trial in December 2020. He was found not guilty of rape.

Detective Constable Sue Hampton, from Operation Amberstone, commended the victim for her courage in coming forward and giving evidence in court. She said: "Badawi is an opportunist and a danger to women. I would like to commend the victim for her courage in disclosing what happened that night and for giving evidence in court so that he could be brought to justice. "

"I welcome today's sentence and hope that it brings some closure to the victim and allows her to move on in her life. "

"I also hope it encourages other victims of rape and serious sexual offences to come forward and report what happened. "

"In cases such as these, we work in partnership with Independent Sexual Violence Advocate Services to ensure adequate support is available to victims throughout investigations. "

"We hope that the strength of this partnership working alongside convictions like this, encourage victims to come forward and report their experiences to us."